Improvement in fireplating iron



W. H... THOSE. FIRE PLATING IRUN.

Patented Aug. '30, 1859.

UNITED STATES* wPATENT OFFICE.

WILI'IIAM H. THOSS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIREPLATING IRON.

Specification forming' part of Letters Patent No. 25,291, dated August 30, 1S5I).

To @ZZ whom it r11/(ty concern."

13e it known that I, WILLIAu 1I. THOSS, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented anddiscovered process or mode of replating iron in all itsshapes and forms with copper, pure and alloyed, to be used in all mechanical, eonuncrcial, and mining purposes, and have invented and designed a furnace to be used in doing same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of Iny discovery and invention consists in plating with copper (pure and alloyed) by fire process iron in its various shapes--such as sheet iron bars, flat and round, bolts, spikes, and nails, and all other forms-varying the shape orform of basin in the 1nelting-furnace to suit the shape or form of the piece of iron to be plated.

The following is the process and apparatus required for plating sheet-iron, the sanne princi le being applied to all other forms of iron, on y varying the apparatus of tanks and metal-basin in furnace in size and shape, adhering to the principle of construction and draft obtained in furnace.

I make use of three tanks or vats, in which is placed the following: No. 1, a tank of diluted sulphuric acid; No. 2, a tank of clean Water; No. 3,a tank of borax in solution; No. 4, melting-furnace for the copper, a plan of which is hereunto annexed.

I heat the water in borax-tank to or near a boiling heat to assist in dissolving the borax, and as soon as dissolved let it cool oft', being then ready for use.

NVlIen I desire to prepare iron for plating, I bring the acid-vat near a boilingpoint and place the sheets' of iron in it for a sufficient length of time to bite er eat olf the scale formed on surface of iron, and l then give them a good'scouring with sand to assist in cleaning them, after which they are washed off in tank No. 2 (of clean water) and then thrown into the borax-vat No. 3,fron1 which, after proper time, they are taken and placed in a warm -ro'oni to dry olf without being allowed to rust. When the sheets or whatever form-the iron may be in is thus prepared it is ready to be dipped into the molten copper. i

lVhen the copperin basin or furnace has been brought to the proper degree of heat and fluid state, the sheet of iron is from one side run into the basin of copper and shoved through, being received at opposite side and drawn out, having received the coat of copper in its passage through the basin. of Inetal, and is ready to be cleaned for whatever use it is to be put to. v

I will now proceed to describe the conL struction and design of furnace, having reference to drawings hereunto annexed.

No. 1 presents full exterior side View ol' furnace. No. 2 presents full exterior end view of furnace. No. 3 presents side sec tional View of interior. No. 4 presents end sectional view of interior. No. 5 presents ground or base plan of structure, showing system of d raft-.holes and aslI-pits.

I construct the furnace of oval shape, main body being of common red bricks and interior of resurface of fire-bricks or other fire-resisting material.

View No. lzA represents drafthole, ashpit, and grate-bars shown; B, opening for plates to be run through the metal in basin; C, chimney or flue.

View No. 2: A represents draft-hole, ash pit, and grate-bars5 B, opening for supplying fuel, closed by an iron door.

View No. 3, of furnace split lengthwise: A represents draftholes and ash-pits terminatf ingat pillar C; B, gratebars; C C C C C C,

pillar on which basin-rest is constructed, ol' fire-brick or other fire-resisting material; D, basin for metal, of same material; E, firespace and space of arch over basin, which draws the flame and heat to one common center and covers the basin, thereby producing the requisite heat on top of basin; F, opening for supply fuel; G, fine or chimney. View No. 4:, furnace split cndwise: 'lhe same letters refer to same parts as described in No. 3, with exception that F shows the openings at both sides at which the sheets el iron are introduced into the basin of InetaI at one side and drawn out at the other.

View No. 5, ground or base of furnace: A

A A A represent the four draft-holes and ashi pits. The construction of these four drafts in correspondence with the arch and flue in the center produces an cipiaily-distributed heat around the basin under and over, which gives the requisite heat for melting the metal with the openings and surface required to allow of the immer-sing of large sheets of iron; B, main bodyof brick-work; C, base of pillar supporting basin.

I am aware that prior to my said invention it has been 4proposed to ireplate iron with copper or the alleys of copper by first cleansing` the surface of the-iron in dilute acids, and, after drying, coatin-g it with 'clay by immersing it in a mixture of clay and Water, and then drying by a brisk fire, and then dipping it in melted copper in an open heated crucible, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as making claim to any such modeof procedure; nor, broadly, to the process of fireplating iron with copper by dipping the iron in molten copper, but

fhat I do claim` as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Preparing the iron,after it has been cleansed with dilute acid, by immersion in a.,solution of boi-ax, and" after being dried passing it through the molten copper maintained at the requiredheatina furnace constructed, substantially-asherein described, with a roof to. concentrate the heat over the basin of molten` W. H.. THOSS.

Witnessesz. 7

Guo. A. VANBOKKELAN, WM. HAYES.A 

